The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-02-24
Italian immigration.

There has been of late slight inl-
provement in the immigration business
of this city, but it must have been no.
ticed that this IMMIGRATION has been
almost wholly from one country-Italy.
During the past three months four
tifths of the immigrants arriving in New
Orleans have been Ital ans. Friday an
other shipload reached here, and the
number of arrivals from that country
during the year has been unusually
large.
New Orleans already possesses large
population of Italian birth or descent.
which will be swollen by this new move
ment. as nearly all the new comers
have established themselves immediate- !
II IN this city. and few have left here to
look for homes in the interior. !
1t is only of late years that the Italian
has become much of an immigrant.
Until the organization of the kingdom
of Italy the population remained at,
home. where many districts were con-
gested, with a population greater than
the land would readily support.
The first tide of emf grafton from the
peninsula was toward South America
Some few of the Italians established;
themselves in Brazil. but the great ma
ioritv settled iii the Argentine Republic,
and Uruguay. The prosperity of the
former state-the most prosperous just
at present in our southern continent.
is due mainly to its Italian immigrants.
They have made industrious. intelli-.
gent, progressive citizens. and have
done we'll in whatever business they
have engaged in-agriculture. stock
raising or trade. They constitute to
day the chief element of the European
population of the Argentine Republic.
and the source of its greatest industry
and wealth.
There has ALWAYS been some Italian
immigration to New Orleans and other
portions of the Gulf coast; but the pres
ent tide of this immigration-to the Uni
ted States did not begin until a few
years ago. 1t is said that the first Ital-
ians coming to New York did so under
Il mistaken idea that they were going
to Buenos Ayres. However, that NAV
be, they remained, and the tide soon
set in earnest in that direction. carry
ing into the north thousands of Italians.
Their trial was hard one. The
newcomers were generally poor. had
few friends. were wholly unacquainted
with the language of the country and
unaccustomed to the climate Despite
all these obstructions the Italian colo
ny in New York has grown and pros
pered.
1t is quite evident that Italy is to be-
come source of large immigration in
the future, for it is thickly populated,
with rapidly increasing population.
fly years ago but few Germans had
left the fatherland to seek homes in
new country; but the Germans have
since proved themselves admirable i'm
migrants; and SO the Italians are PROV
ing to-day.
Italy has placed no hindrance in the
way of emigration. but it has been the
great aim of the government to prevent
this loss of subjects by securing a pos
session in Africa or elsewhere to which
an Italian can emigrate without losing
his cit zenship or forfeiting his tie to
h S own land. This is one of the chief
aims of the present government; and
should it succeed there is little doubt
of Italy establishing strong colonial
empire. after the manner of Rome of
old. The Italians from the earliest
times have been excellent colonists;
and there is no reason to doubt their
colonizing capacity to-day. Or
leans Times Democrat.